The India’s team with T-90 main battle tanks has arrived in Alabino in the Moscow Region, Russia to take part in the International Army Games 2017.

The International Army Games, which will take place on July 28 — August 12, are annual military competitions held since 2015 on the initiative of the Russian defense minister. The contests include competitions among tank crews, snipers, air and seaborne practices, as well as medical, scout and other contests.

The First International Tank Biathlon kicked off on Monday, August 4, at the Alabino Firing Range in the Moscow region (53 km from the capital). Russia, India, China, Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Mongolia and Serbia are taking part in this unique event.

The Indian team will perform for the first time and brought their tanks T-90S Bhishma. The Kontakt-5 ERA panel at the turret front has been removed revealing the bare turret which is still armoured with composite armor in the front hemisphere.

India’s T-90’s have come in various stats of construction and models. The first purchase was in 2001 of the T-90S. 120 were delivered assembled, 90 in semi-assembled kits and 100 un-assembled kits.

These vehicles did not have the Shtora-1 countermeasure suite, but did retain the Kontakt-5 ERA on the turret. The Russian sights were replaced with those from France and the Russian composite armour has been replaced with India’s own Kanchan composite.

These tanks were divided between five to seven regiments of the XXI (Bhopal) and II (Ambala) Strike Corps.